A Comprehensive Review on Antimicrobial Packaging and its Use in Food Packaging

Abstract

The recent food-borne microbial outbreaks in the world have led to the search for more innovative ways to inhibit microbial growth in foods that will maintain their quality, freshness, and safety. One of the options, that provides an increased margin of safety and quality in food products is the use of antimicrobial packaging. The next generation of food packaging may include materials with antimicrobial properties. These packaging technologies could play a role in extending the shelf-life of foods and reduce the risk from pathogens. Antimicrobial packaging is a form of active packaging which interacts with the product or the headspace between the package and the food system, to obtain a desired outcome. Antimicrobial packaging has an important effect on food packaging when the shelf-life extension and food safety of food products are taken into consideration. The basic idea behind this technology is the usage of antimicrobial substances in polymeric matrices to target specific microorganisms, in order to achieve higher safety and quality food products with extended shelf life. Various types of antimicrobial substances such as organic acids and their salts, enzymes, bacteriocins, and miscellaneous compounds (triclosan, silver, and fungicides) have been used in synthetic polymers and edible films. Different types of antimicrobial food packaging systems can be constructed by using antimicrobial packaging materials and/or antimicrobial agents inside the package space or inside foods.